Millwood, Scott, Patterson leftovers

In a game as multi-faceted as Tuesday’s extra-innings win, things are always bound to get lost in the shuffle. Here are some of the leftover quotes from three big players of the game: Kevin Millwood, Luke Scott and Corey Patterson.

KEVIN MILLWOOD[on how he felt on the hill]“[My] stuff was good, felt like I located the ball well, my four seamer was cutting a little bit, my two-seamer was sinking, when I threw my breaking pitches early, I did what I wanted to do. Stuff definitely wasn’t a problem all day.”

[on facing Greinke] “You just want to stay in there as long as you can. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to give up any more runs [after the fifth]. And I was able to do that.

The guys were able to battle. Luke hit a couple big homers, corey hit a big home run. And we came out with a win.”

[on Luke’s two homers] “When Luke gets locked in he’s one of the best hitters in the game, it doesn’t matter who’s pitching to him, he’s going to hit the ball long and hard. And that’s kind of where he’s at right now. And it’s fun to watch a guy like that.”

[on still not getting the win]“It’s a win for the team and that’s what matters, as long as it’s a win for our team.”

LUKE SCOTT[on the win]“Total team effort is what it was. Greinke was tough, he had very good stuff today – good slider, good changeup and his fastball had a lot of life, a lot of late movement. He did a good job for his team. You got to credit Kevin Millwood for sticking in there. He had that one inning where they were able to scrape a few runs through, but he battled and kept us in the ballgame and that’s what you want out of your ace.”

[on facing Greinke] “It’s very difficult. If I was them, I’d want to be in that situation – you think you’re sitting pretty good [with a 3-0 lead] and they were.”

[on being in the zone]“Everything’s just kind of calm and peaceful for me up at the plate. There’s no traffic in my mind, there’s no confusion. There’s no stress or pressure. I’m just up there relaxing. Like I said before, I bring God into everything and I just go up there and pray and try to take him with me in all that I do. I’m enjoying my time with him.”

[on the Corey Patterson effect] “He’s given us a great lift. It goes to show how he’s really helped our team, but at the same time it’s another thing that shows you how much we miss Brian [Roberts] at the top of the order. Having a good leadoff man that gets on with some speed that puts some pressure on the defense and put pressure on the opposing pitcher, it’s very helpful.”

COREY PATTERSON[On making Greinke work in 6th:] “I was able, in that at-bat, to get his pitch count up. After the at-bat, it was a little frustrating because I took some close pitches and it was 3-2 and I swung at a ball that was up and out of the zone. For a while there, I was kind of beating myself up, but I took it as a positive: I didn’t get the result I wanted, but that’s one of the best pitchers in the game. You have to foul some balls off, get the count to 3-2, work him a little bit. You know what? That was a good at-bat. I took that into my next at-bat and was able to get the homer rather than dwelling on swinging on 3-2 at a pitch that was well outside.”

[more on Greinke] “There’s no doubt the game’s mental, more than anything, and you got to find a way to keep the same approach no matter who’s on the mound, whether it’s Zach Greinke, a No. 4 or 5 starter or whoever. You go in there with the attitude that’s Zach Greinke, you’re not making things any easier. You already know he’s a good pitcher, so don’t help him out. Just stay with your approach.”

[on Millwood] “You can’t tell with him how he’s doing, whether he’s having a good outing or a bad outing. I thought he pitched well tonight, to tell you the truth. For me looking at him, he has the same focus, his game plan. I don’t know what he’s thinking, but you know what you’re going to get every day from him. He’s going to be focused, going to give you the best he has.”

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